Explore Macau
by Todd Crowell
Blacksmith Books HK$96
If you have never been to Macau before, this is not the book to take for navigational help because it lacks an index. Divided into eight walks that take in Taipa and Coloane, Explore Macau provides rudimentary maps at the start of each chapter but these, too, are disappointing. They lack a distance scale, although author Todd Crowell points out that Macau is only about seven miles square, so even the longest walks should be manageable. Potted histories accompany descriptions of landmarks, sometimes with useful suggestions, such as to look up while exploring the streets because of intricate iron grilling that guards windows and balconies. Routes and chief points of interest are given before each walk, with No 3, for example, taking you down Rua George Chinnery to Lilau Square, ending at Barra Point. If you were to follow the directions given in the book, however, you would probably get lost: not only are many of the streets one is to walk down not on the map but it seems author and map drawer never conferred on routes. First-timers would do better picking up the free brochures and maps available from the tourist office at the ferry terminal.